PHILADELPHIA — The victim accepted the perp’s punishment — grudgingly.
“I kind of see it, but it’s exactly what the league is trying to eliminate,” the Devils’ Dainius Zubrus told The Post last night after the playoffs’ leading scorer, Claude Giroux, was suspended for his Flyers’ do-or-die Game 5 of the Eastern Conference playoffs tonight.
The NHL suspended Giroux one game yesterday for slamming Zubrus in the side of the head with his shoulder in Game 4 in Newark on Sunday.
“I understand why the decision was made. In the last series, [the Penguins’ James] Neal hit Giroux, who wasn’t hurt and was able to continue. I think this was the same idea,” Zubrus said, referring to Neal’s one-game ban.
The suspension adds suspense for Game 5 of the series the Devils can finish tonight. The Flyers lost their main man, but they gained a rallying cause as they try to avert elimination.
“A suspension like that always rallies a team,” Devils goalie Martin Brodeur said.
But Giroux isn’t some cannon fodder sitting out. He leads the playoffs with eight goals and nine assists, but is only 2-1-3 in the four games against New Jersey, though he had a goal and an assist in Game 4.
League disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan noted Giroux had a clean record and Zubrus returned to action in limiting the suspension to one game.
* Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov was on-ice for nine of the first 10 Florida goals in the first three games of the playoffs. He stood minus-2 then, and has gone plus-7 since.
* Feisty Flyer Scott Hartnell stands minus-6 in the last three games. That takes some doing. ... Devils center Ryan Carter is expected to return after missing Game 4 because of an illness.
mark.everson@nypost.com
Claude Giroux, Dainius Zubrus, the Devils, Eastern Conference playoffs, The Flyers, Flyers, Anton Volchenkov, Brendan Shanahan, Martin Brodeur, Giroux
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